For those of you who have seen the old (classic) Star Trek, David Gerrold wrote “The Trouble with Tribbles.”

Mum met him first just after, when he was up for a Hugo for his Tribbles script and she was up for a Hugo for her novella, “Dragonriders” (later part of Dragonflight) and they sat together rooting for each other. She won, he didn’t but they became friends and she enrolled him into SFWA (The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America).

Mum extolled the virtues of living in Ireland so well that David moved over in 1970. When he got his apartment, he called Mum up saying, “Annie, Lessa is my landlord!” And he was right, Jan Regan rode racehorses instead of dragons but Jan was very much Lessa (and still is). David gifted me with some really cool flares which I wore until they were threadbare, despite taunts from the lads at school.

David returned to LA after a while, seeking a return to the sun. Many years later, I followed, seeking a job in aerospace and getting a really cool job in software engineering. While David was staffing the new Star Trek: The Next Generation, I was writing spec scripts (none sold).

David and I would bump into each other, ships in the night, every now and then at various science fiction conventions across the country.

When I finished Dragonsblood and was wondering who I could ask to read it for review, I thought of David and he graciously consented, producing a truly marvelous quote.

I got into a rut back around June of last year and it lasted all the way through March when I decided that I was ready for a change, needed to get out more, meet new people, stretch and grow. So, naturally, I squeezed my eyes tightly closed as I thought (in a quiet little voice, as though that would help), “Okay, God, I’m ready for the next kick in the pants.”

Nothing happened for two days and then David called. He asked if I trusted him. Yes, of course. He said he wanted me to take this training and I said okay. So I took the training and on the morning of the last day I was calling Mum in Ireland saying, “I want you to take this training.”

Mum took a lot of convincing, from the end of March to the middle of April. But after the Nebula Awards in April, Mum and I flew out to LA and I got her set up in the nice Costa Mesa Hilton where the training took place — she was driven there by David Gerrold (naturally). Mum spent a week just relaxing and got some good physio from the hotel’s on-call physical therapist and then she took the training. When she was done, she said it was like a jumpstart.

David said to me that he felt that the training might have added five more years to Mum’s life and given her the energy for two to three more books. I sure hope so, particularly the five more years.

After the training, I noticed how much happier she looked and how beautiful her green eyes are.

So when it came time to consider a dedication for Dragon’s Fire, there was only one choice.

The dedication will read:

This book is lovingly dedicated to David Gerrold.